Allied With Evil
by Trance
Summary: AU. What if Aerith had been on Sephiroth’s side. Would they have lost, just as Sephiroth did originally, or would they have won? And what would Jenova think about all of this? Ch.15 posted
1. Prologue

Hey people! Just to let you know, this is an AU, exploring one more of the many ways FF VII could have happened. Please don't flame me for it, 'cause this is just one of the roads that my mind took one day.  
  
It's about what might have occurred if Aerith had been on Sephiroth's side. Would they have lost, just as Sephiroth did originally, or would they have won? And what would Jenova think about all of this?  
  
I'm mainly an AeriSeph fan, so Clerith lovers beware. Any suggestions on whether Tifa should be with Cloud or Vincent are welcome, or if it should be Yuffie and Vincent.  
  
One last warning is that I am not fond of Cloud. This does NOT mean that I HATE Cloud, just that I think he should grow up and figure out who the hell he wants: Tifa or Aerith.  
  
Now on with the fic...  
  
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Midgar, the most technological city on the face of the Planet. Beneath the city lay the slums, its people in eternal dark. The only way to know whether it was day or night was if you had a clock or a watch. Divided up into eight large plates on the top, separated into sectors beneath, Midgar was also the largest city anywhere.  
  
ShinRa.  
  
The name itself spread fear to the farthest corners of the world. Sometimes starting rebellion in areas that had much pride, such as the country of Wutai. ShinRa itself was an electric power company, supplying the world with mako, a source of energy.  
  
Mako was constantly being pumped up from the ground with the use of mako reactors. Placed around the world in certain areas, they sucked up what some called the 'life-blood' of the planet. In Midgar stood eight of them, one for each sector, each in perfect working order.  
  
Those who were brave enough to oppose ShinRa did their best to try and stop the power-hungry company, but could only do so in small ways.  
  
Each day the planet cried out in pain, but nearly all those who could hear her were gone. Only one remained, the planet's last child. But the planet would not waste energy on that child. The last Ancient.  
  
The one who no longer cared.  
  
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Well, that's the beginning. A bit boring maybe, but I promise that things will get better.  
  
Like before, I need suggestions on the pairings, so PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!! 


	2. Memories at the Fall of the Plate

Chapter 1: Memories at the Fall of the Plate  
  
Night had fallen on the upper plate of Midgar and its citizens were going home to warm dinners.  
  
Even the flower girl.  
  
After a hard day of working, trying to sell her flowers, Aerith was beyond tired. As she boarded the train going down to the sector five slums, she nearly fell asleep standing up.  
  
When the train arrived in the station, Aerith slowly walked home. It was a strange sight to some, to see a young woman her age walking in the slums by herself at this time of night. But to those that knew her, it was an everyday thing.  
  
As she entered her home, Aerith sorely missed the smell of home cooked meals that her adoptive mother, Elmyra, had once cooked. It was unfortunate that Elmyra had passed, no more than two years earlier, but Aerith liked to think of it as going to a better place.  
  
At least, better than the hellhole she'd left behind.  
  
Aerith deposited the last of her flowers on the dining room table and went upstairs to her bed. Tomorrow would be another long day and Aerith wanted to be rested up for it.  
  
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Dreams seemed to bring her nothing but both joy and pain at the same time. He was always there. It was nothing short of pure torture to her. How she longed to reach out and touch him, he who had left her to the evils of the planet itself.  
  
She supposed it was the planets doing, taking him from her, punishing her for neglecting it. At one time she had heard it clear as a bell, the planet, but now she pushed it back so far that she hardly ever heard it at all. And that was fine by her.  
  
As the planets last child, she alone could hear its cries for help. It once told her to help it, that she must help. It did not ask, it ordered. Once, she had asked it if she would be able to see her mother if she did what the planet told.  
  
It nearly laughed at her. She was only half Cetra, and entry to the Promised Land was not an option for her. Instead, it said, of entering the Promised Land, she would be more of a wanderer, her spirit to walk forever among the world. Aerith heard amusement in its voice, as though it enjoyed saying these things to her.  
  
She swore that she'd be damned if she ever helped it.  
  
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An alarm clock rang persistently at Aerith's bedside. Tossing a pillow at the clock, Aerith managed to get it to stop ringing and sat up in bed. It would be another long day of flower selling for her, and it was good to start early. She had some regulars, mostly men who brought flowers to the ladies at work, or those who were trying constantly to get a raise or promotion from a boss. Aerith would often chuckle at that, 'The way to get something like that takes hard work, not just flowers'.  
  
Even selling flowers reminded her of her love. Each day he would come to buy a dozen from her for a vase on his desk at work. He said they reminded him of her. She would never stop wondering what people thought of him, walking down the street with flowers in his hand, even to that day.  
  
Sadly smiling, Aerith made her way down to the kitchen. She turned on the radio, took some eggs out of the refrigerator and the pan out of the cabinet. She was cracking an egg when:  
  
"Last night's reactor explosion is thought to be the work of the terrorist group known as AVALANCHE. Close to one hundred casualties, including ten ShinRa workers, have already been found among the rubble."  
  
The egg hit the pan sizzling and Aerith went to turn up the radio.  
  
"Any information concerning the explosion or AVALANCHE can be directed to ShinRa at the following number..."  
  
Aerith flipped the egg over and then turned the radio off. As much as she didn't like terrorist groups, she hated ShinRa even more. Had she information, she most definitely wouldn't share it with ShinRa.  
  
Aerith finished her breakfast and was dressed and ready to go to her church in the next half hour. Grabbing her basket and discarding the now wilted flowers left over from yesterday in the garbage, she left the house and locked up.  
  
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Aerith kneeled down and tended to her flowers. Most of them were yellow tulips, but in a small corner of the torn up floor boards lay some daffodils. Aerith hadn't cut any of those to sell in nearly five years. She probably would ever cut them again either.  
  
She put on her gloves and began to pull up some of the weeds that had grown since she'd pull up the last ones. After that, she began cutting some of the tulips.  
  
Halfway through, a loud crash came from above. A man with blonde spikes fell from the ceiling and landed on the flower bed. Aerith jumped back at first, thinking that he was dead. When a low moan came from his body she was proved wrong. She rushed forward to help him, aiding him in sitting up.  
  
"Are you alright? Do you feel anything broken?" she blurted out.  
  
It took him a while, but he was eventually able to utter a 'yes'. With Aerith's help, he was able to stand and get out of her flowers. When he realized where he'd landed, he apologized, "Sorry about your flowers. I didn't mean to land in them."  
  
Aerith waved a hand then kneeled down and worked in front of the flowers for a moment. She was glad he hadn't harmed the daffodils. When she backed away from them, her tulips looked good as new. The blonde man looked with wonder at them, then back at Aerith. He looked back and forth for a few seconds then said, "How did you...they were...and then..."  
  
Aerith laughed. "I just have a way with flowers."  
  
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Two people, a blonde man named Cloud and a brunette woman named Aerith, walked into Wall Market together, following a caravan coming from sector seven. Cloud had informed Aerith after introducing himself that he was working for AVALANCHE. Going as far as they could until they reached Don Corneo's Mansion, they found that they had a problem: Only women were allowed to enter.  
  
They solved that problem by dressing the man as a woman. They acquired the dress from a local shop and a wig. From there they entered the mansion and were able to beat back Corneo and his henchmen. One of the Cloud's friends, Tifa Lockheart, was also in Corneo's mansion, trying to get information out of the perverted man.  
  
They thought they had Corneo once they cornered him in his bedroom, but Corneo had one last trick up his sleeve. Pulling a cord, he sent all three down to the sewers below. Once they were able to get out of the sewers, they raced back to sector seven. When they arrived, they found that members of the ShinRa, known as the Turks, were trying to take down the pillar that held up the plate above sector seven.  
  
Cloud asked Aerith to go find a little girl named Marlene in a bar owned by Tifa in the sector. Aerith nodded and ran off into the sector.  
  
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Aerith found the little town easily and began searching for the bar Cloud had spoken of. She ran passed old buildings until she found one with the sign 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven' on top of the door. She could only assume that Tifa owned one bar in this place.  
  
She walked up the steps and entered. "Hello?" she called out. A small head popped up from behind the bar counter. Aerith smiled and walked forward. "Hi there. Are you Marlene?" When the girl nodded, Aerith motioned for her to come closer. "My name is Aerith. I was sent by Cloud. Do you know him?" When the girl nodded again and came closer, Aerith reached out for her hand. "Cloud asked me to take you out of here, okay? It's not safe anymore."  
  
Marlene took Aerith's hand and allowed the flower girl to lead her out of sector seven. As they were passing the pillar, Aerith spotted the body of who she could only guess was another member of AVALANCHE. She ran faster toward the playground in sector six.  
  
Passing the playground, Marlene asked, "Where are we going Aerith?" Aerith tried to think of where she could bring Marlene. Home was the first place that popped up in her head, so that was where she headed. "To a safe place," she said sweetly to the little girl.  
  
They had crossed into sector five when the sound of a chopper could be heard. Aerith turned and saw a member of the Turks flying closer. Aerith started running faster, nearly dragging Marlene along. All Aerith could think of was getting home and locking her door.  
  
Fate, it seemed, had different plans for her.  
  
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Well, there's chapter 1 for you. Please REVIEW and tell me what you think. Do that and I'll give you a cookie. Promise. 


	3. Faint Sounds in the Demon's Lair

Thanks for the reviews, but I still need some suggestions for those other pairings. It isn't that urgent, but they will be needed for the future chapters. Any ideas that I can explore before I write them would be most beneficial.  
  
Now, onward... ______________  
  
Chapter 2: Faint Sounds in a Demon's Lair.  
  
It was official: the fates hated her. They really despised her. First they took away her father, then her mother, then her love, and finally her adoptive mother. Now her freedom. Locked up in a bleak cell in ShinRa headquarters, she could do nothing but wait until that grease ball nutcase that called himself a professor came to claim her.  
  
But at least the cell was better than the bell jar they'd put her in before.  
  
That much could be said.  
  
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A church door swung open. A figure entered, his long hair fluttering out behind him. He walked up towards the altar, kneeling before a patch of flowers. His hands passed the tulips.  
  
It was the other flowers he was interested in. __________________  
  
Cloud cursed at himself. What had been meant as a rescue and escape attempt had gone horribly wrong. He swore he could've counted how many things they'd done wrong had he that many fingers. And now he was locked up in a cell with Tifa, Aerith next door on one side and Barret with Red XIII, a new found ally, on the other side.  
  
He'd told Tifa to get some rest; who knew when they might get a chance for escape and have needed the rest. Sitting up against the wall opposite the cot that Tifa was on, Cloud started to doze himself.  
  
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Aerith lay on the cot against the wall and tried to get some rest. After being captured by the Turks, brought to ShinRa headquarters, freed, running to get out, and then captured again, she was exhausted.  
  
She lay on the verge of sleep when a faint sound reached her ears. It was a tune she remembered from long ago, when she and her love had lain in her garden. He would hum it lightly to her while she was in his embrace, or when they had planted the daffodils together.  
  
She didn't move, afraid that the sound would disappear. Thoughts bombarded her mind: 'Such a beautiful sound.' 'Reminds me so much of him.' 'But why now?'  
  
That was a good question: Why now? Of all the times to hear it, why now? Was it this place, where he once was? Or was it something else? Surely he wasn't here. How could he be? He was gone. Wasn't he?  
  
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President ShinRa sat at his desk. Tomorrow the execution of AVALANCHE would commence. It was perfect, blaming them for the fall of the sector seven plate. As long as the people didn't blame ShinRa, it was alright.  
  
As he leaned back in his seat, ShinRa sighed. Soon, the Promised Land would be within reach. They had the Cetra girl who would lead them there. A place filled with endless mako energy, and everyone would come to ShinRa to get it.  
  
His thoughts filled his mind, making him oblivious to the fact that Palmer has just entered his office. Walking up to the president's desk, Palmer set a small stack of papers, most likely research reports, on the desk. The president looked up at Palmer, who had a smile on his face, then to the stack on the stack on his desk.  
  
"New research I suppose? Or new funds?" Palmer's smiling face went to a look of horror. The president had a questioning look, "What'd I say?" Palmer was no longer looking at President ShinRa, but behind him. He raised his hand slowly and pointed. "Se..se.."  
  
"Se...what? Spit it out already Palmer!" He was growing agitated. Palmer just kept on pointing. The president grew tired of this and turned around for himself. He suddenly wished he hadn't.  
  
"Sephiroth!"  
  
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Aerith felt herself being shaken awake. She opened her eyes slowly, letting the light creep in. She saw something bright and yellow. A chocobo? No, there were no chocobos in Midgar, much less the ShinRa building.  
  
The ShinRa building? 'Crap, I forgot. How the hell could I forget?' she thought. As her eyes focused, she realized that she was not looking at a chocobo, but at a man with spiky blonde hair. He was standing over her, telling her to wake up, "Come on Aerith. The doors are open, we can get out."  
  
Aerith sat up, her eyes finally adjusted to the light. True to his words, the doors were open. Aerith didn't want to get up, just go back to sleep. 'But when did I go to sleep?' She couldn't remember. A wave of pain, one of the Planet's that was able to slip through her mental barrier every once in a while, came at her. She nearly fell, but Cloud caught her before she could. She thanked him and was able to walk out of the cell by herself.  
  
She saw a guard, dead, in a heap in the corner. She resisted the urge to throw up, and by the looks of it, so did Tifa. Tifa had stepped out of a cell down at the end with Barret and Red XIII. It had been a while since she'd seen such things, but Aerith would eventually get over it.  
  
It came again, that faint tune. Aerith turned her head into the direction it came from. It sounded as thought it was coming from above, but Aerith couldn't be sure. She started walking down the hall and toward where she was sure she'd find the source of it.  
  
She had to know if it was truly him.  
  
AVALANCHE started calling her name, but she paid them no mind as she started running for the stairs to the upper floors. As she was passing a chamber that looked as though it had been ripped open, Aerith stopped. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she did know that whatever had been in there had been dangerous enough to keep locked up.  
  
AVALANCHE too had stopped at the broken containment cell. Cloud looked at it, horrified. The rest weren't too sure what to make of it. Aerith once more before running again. She made it to the stairs and started climbing. She could hear AVALANCHE following.  
  
She had made it to the president's lobby, hearing the sound that was now significantly louder. She climbed the last set of stairs to the President's office. Once at the top, she stared at the sight before her. When AVALANCHE had made it up to the office, they too stared.  
  
The President was dead, impaled by the legendary sword Masamune.  
  
Only three people there recognized it, knowing it all too well. For Cloud it was the sword of Sephiroth, his one time hero turned bad. For Tifa, it was the sword of the man who had killed her father and almost her. For Aerith, it was a sword that belonged to an old friend, perhaps more.  
  
There was another object on the desk, besides Palmers papers and the President's head. Tifa pointed to it, "Is that a flower?" Cloud, too, looked at it.  
  
"Isn't that one of the daffodils from your church, Aerith?"  
  
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That's all for now, but more soon. Once again, please review. 


	4. So You Really Are Here

Alright, I've got another idea for pairings. I could pair Yuffie up with Reno, and then Tifa with Vincent. I think I like this. I've yet to make a final decision. But hopefully I can make up my mind soon.  
  
Chapter 3: So You Really Are Here  
  
Aerith ran up to the President's desk, not caring one bit that he was dead. She picked up the daffodil that was lying on the top and held it close to herself. 'He is alive.' She fell to her knees, a smile on her face. She felt like crying as she stared up at the Masamune.  
  
"Are you okay, Aerith?" she heard Tifa ask her as she came closer to comfort her friend. Aerith nodded and stood herself up. Placing the flower in her pocket, Aerith got up on the desk and grabbed the hilt of the Masamune. Her friends gasped as she pulled the Masamune from the back of ShinRa, saying "You know that you shouldn't leave this thing in people Sephy. You're going to end up ruining it."  
  
"And you know that you shouldn't call that accursed name."  
  
Aerith turned to the back of the room near the stairwell. As cloud turned, his blood started to boil. He hated him, oh how he hated him. "Sephiroth!"  
  
Sephiroth smirked at Cloud. "Ah, hello Cloud. Fancy seeing you here." Cloud almost ran forward, but Aerith came running past him, straight to Sephiroth. Sephiroth opened his arms and embraced Aerith as she went to him. Aerith placed her arms around Sephiroth's neck, the heavy Masamune still gripped in her hand. Sephiroth could feel her struggling with it and reached behind to take it from her. She let it go and he put it at his side.  
  
"Sephiroth, I missed you so much. I-" Aerith was cut off by Sephiroth's whisper, "Shh. Quiet now my love. We will speak of these things later, I promise. First I must do some things." He held her by the waist with his right arm and looked to Cloud and the others. "As much as I would like to stay and chat, Aerith and I have some things to discuss." He headed for the stairs with Aerith and was going down when he stopped and called over his shoulder, "And it would seem you have other things to worry about."  
  
The sounds of a chopper could be heard outside on the balcony. While the others went outside, Cloud followed Sephiroth. "Sephiroth, you bring her back!" he shouted to the ex-general. Sephiroth stopped by a glass window in the front of the lobby and turned. "Oh, by all means if she does not wish to come with me, she only needs to tell me." He looked down at Aerith, "Do you wish to join me or Mr. Strife?" Aerith only responded by clutching to Sephiroth.  
  
"You see," Sephiroth started, "she can make her own decisions. But do not worry, you will see her again. I can promise you that."  
  
Aerith suddenly remembered something, "Wait, what happened to Marlene? I forgot to ask if she was okay." She looked to Cloud. "She's fine, we left her with one of your neighbors. She said she'd take care of her for us for a while."  
  
Aerith nodded. Seeing that there was nothing else to be said, Sephiroth stepped back. The glass window behind him shattered and he stepped through it, taking Aerith along with him. Aerith nearly screamed, but she didn't feel herself falling and looked around to see that she in fact going up. She looked up to Sephiroth's face and saw nothing but his famed SOLDIER expression: a face that showed no emotion. 


	5. The Past is Done, and Now We Must Move O...

Stars lit the night as two people walked towards into the small town of Kalm. Sephiroth had insisted that they not stop along the way, so they didn't. Sephiroth rented a room at the inn and they settled in. They sat side by side on one of the beds and Aerith began by telling him of how Elmyra had died of poor health due to conditions under the plate. She cried, but Sephiroth comforted her by telling her that Elmyra was in a better place. Afterwards, Aerith told him of her life afterwards, up to the point that he'd shown up.

Sephiroth told her of what had happened during his last days at Nibelheim. How he'd found the monsters in the pods in the reactor, and about the secret library under the mansion. Aerith listened closely as he told her about Jenova and the Ancients, and of things that she had never known. Then when he told her about how he set the town ablaze, she scolded him, "You did WHAT? You ought to be ashamed of yourself." He put his arm around her waist as he told her, "The only thing that I am ashamed of is leaving you behind. For not being strong enough to kill Strife before he sent me into the river of Mako, I-" Aerith raised a hand to stop him. "Wait a second. Strife? Cloud Strife? The guy back in the ShinRa building?" Sephiroth nodded.

Aerith couldn't move. She had trusted Cloud, but wasn't so sure that she could now. "He..he took you away from me." Sephiroth turned her to face him, "He hated me Aerith, for destroying his home, attacking his friend, and killing his mother. To him, it was only fair." Aerith looked at him, tears in eyes threatening to fall down her face. Sephiroth held her tight, "Listen to me Aerith, it is in the past, and we are going to move on now. While I was in Nibelheim, I thought of a wonderful idea. But I am going to need your help. Will you help me?" Aerith nodded. "Good. Here's what we're going to do. In the south, there is an island with a large temple. It was built by the Ancients of long ago. Inside lies the Black Materia, which is essential to my plan." Aerith pushed her boots off and curled up next to him, "Let me guess, we have to go and get it?" She said as she yawned.

"Actually, I was thinking of letting Strife and his band of misfits do the work for us."

Aerith gave him a look of confusion, "Say what?" Sephiroth chuckled lightly. "We let him do it. Let him get the Black Materia, then we take it and summon Meteor. And when Meteor crashes into the Planet-" For a moment, Aerith thought that she'd heard about Meteor before, but the thought that something was going to crash into the Planet that could possibly destroy everything made her forget that and interrupt Sephiroth. "What do you mean, 'crash into the Planet?' Won't that destroy everything?" Sephiroth smiled and waved his head, "No, it will only make a deep hole though to the Lifestream. Then, we shall absorb the Lifestream and the very power of the Planet. We would be gods, Aerith."

"Gods? Us?" _Such a thing is impossible, isn't it?_ Sephiroth nodded. "Yes us. You, me, and Mother." "Mother?" Another nod. "Yes, my mother. Jenova. She's told me so much, given me information that is vital to the plan. And she is eager to meet you. We will meet her in Junon." Aerith smiled. "I would be honored to meet your mother." She brought her face closer to his and gave him a light kiss on the lips. "After some sleep." She then broke away from Sephiroth and pulled the covers back on the bed and curled up beneath them. Sephiroth too prepared for bed. After he was beneath the sheets of the other bed, he whispered to her, "Next time, we get a room with one bed."

Aerith chucked, "Yes love."

* * *

Outside the walls of Midgar, AVALANCHE made their way to the small town of Kalm. Cloud was in the front, leading the silent group. Each was thinking of why Aerith had gone with Sephiroth. Cloud and Tifa knew that perhaps she didn't know of what the former general had done, just as few did know. It seemed to everyone that the two had known each other from a long time ago. Cloud hadn't yet told them about what had happened when he'd followed Sephiroth down the stairs, but he would tell them eventually.

After their run-in with the Motor Ball machine, the group was tired, but knew that the longer they stayed in Midgar, the more chance ShinRa had of finding them. Kalm was their destination, and they had a few hours ahead of them before they would reach it.

* * *

Well, it's not much, but I promise more soon. I have all of tomorrow, hopefully, to do it. I just need some more inspiration. Now where'd I put those inspiration pills. Ah, I'll find them somewhere. Anyways...as always, please review. 


	6. Breakfast Talk

Aerith awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon. She raised herself to a sitting position and watched as Sephiroth closed the door and put down a large plastic bag with what she assumed were clothes. There was a tray on the table that held the contents of Aerith's wake up call. "Mmm, that smells good." She got up and walked over to sit down at the table. Sephiroth sat opposite her. There were two plates of eggs, bacon, toast, a glass of orange juice for her, a large cup of black coffee for him, and a newspaper.

Aerith began to much down her breakfast while Sephiroth took a sip of his coffee and picked up the newspaper. The front headline caught her attention but didn't surprise her: 'ShinRa dead; Son to take over.' She didn't know much about the younger ShinRa, simply that his name was Rufus and he's been away for some time. "Looks like your handiwork has made headlines again." Sephiroth bit into a piece of toast, "So it has."

When they were finished, Sephiroth suggested that she take a shower before they left. "Are you telling me that I smell?" she feigned mock horror. "And to think I though you loved me." They both had a laugh before she rose from the table and went into the bathroom. Sephiroth set the clothes he'd bought for her on her bed. When she was done, Aerith exitted the bathroom, wrapped in only a towel. Her dress and underthings were neatly folded beneath her arm. "That felt good," she stated, sitting on the bed and setting her dirty clothes down. She noticed Sephiroth's eyes on her, taking in everything from her damp hair, to the few droplets of water on her legs. His concentration was interrupted by, "Like what you see?" She said it seductively, though Sephiroth already knew what she was after. Unfortunately, there was no time that.

He smirked, "It's not like I haven't seen it before." Aerith's face became a shade redder. She looked to the clothes that were beside her. She immediately noticed the small black travelling boots and grimaced. "Not a word Aerith. You're wearing them and that's that." Sephiroth warned her. Aerith sighed and looked to the rest of the clothes. Theer was not a trace of pink among them. It was typical of Sephiroth to have done that though. She remembered the time that he'd gone with her to get a new dress and only picked out the ones that were black. He detested pink, only tolerating it because he knew she liked it.

Aerith motioned Sephiroth to turn around, which he did, though reluctantly. She picked up her new shirt, which was tight fitting and black. Underneath of it was a new bra and panties, which made Aerith wonder if Sephiroth had really purchased them. She nearly laughed out loud at the thought of Sephiroth buying a set of woman's undergarments and what the cashier would have thought. She finished dressing with that thought in her mind. After the undergarments and shirt, she slipped on a pair of black jeans, then finally socks. She told Sephiroth that he could turn around then. "Much better. Now just put those boots on and we will be nearly ready. Oh," he reached into his pocket and extracted a black ribbon, "for your hair."

Aerith took the ribbon and sat on the bed. She went to put the ribbon in her hair when she realized that her hair was still a bit damp and knotted. Sephiroth took a small comb from his pocket and sat behind her. She frowned as she put on the boots while Sephiroth made quick work of her hair. Though she wouldn't admit it to him, Aerith found that the boots were much more comfortable than her old ones.

Sephiroth reached for her ribbon and tied her hair back into a ponytail. He placed the comb back into his pocket and grabbed Aerith's old clothes and boots. She wasn't happy when he deposited them into the garbage. She was just happy when he had plucked her mother's materia from her old ribbon and handed it to her. She didn't know what to do with it at the moment and placed it into her right pocket. Sephiroth went over to the door and held it open for her. "Ladies first." he said. Aerith smiled slightly and grabbed her guard stick. She went out the door and led the way downstairs. She waited for Sephiroth to give the key back to the innkeeper.

Soon, they were out of Kalm and on their way. "So, what's on the way to Junon? Anything fun?" Aerith asked. She'd never been out of Midgar before, and was insure of what was outside of it. "We should reach the chocobo farm tomorrow evening. Then the next morning we will pass through the Midgar swamp and the Mythril Mines. Fort Condor is close, but still out of our way once we exit the mines. It shouldn't take us more than a day after that to reach Junon." Aerith sighed. That was a lot of travelling for someone who'd never travelled before. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it. "Are we going to stop tonight?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, we don't have the time. However, once we reach the next continent, there will be more places to stop and rest for a while. And perhaps something of interest to you." Aerith smiled and asked, "What is it?" Sephiroth waved his finger. "Can't tell you. It's a surprise."


	7. Tired and Weary

They were so close. Kalm was in sight and the afternoon sun was above them. Cloud had led his group from Midgar and had only stopped for short breaks. Now, as they entered the small town of Kalm, the group went straight towards the Inn.

Cloud reached into his pocket and took out the gil for a room. They made their way up the stairs quietly and nearly crashed onto the beds. Red curled up on the rug in front on Tifa's bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Cloud fell asleep as well, and promised himself that he would tell the others tomorrow about what had happened with Aerith and Sephiroth.

When they awoke, some hours later, they left the inn in search of a place to eat. There was one right next to the inn. They sat down and quickly ordered something to eat. As they were wating for their meal, Cloud spoke up. "It's time to make plan." Tifa nodded. She understood the situation better than Barret or Red. "We need to go after Sephiroth," she said, which gained a nod from from Cloud. The other members of AVALANCHE were still confused by the situation. "Didn't Sephiroth die in that reactor explosion five years ago?" Red asked.

"Tha's prolly what them damned ShinRa wantcha to think," Barret answered. "Obviously, he's not. And now he has Aerith." Tifa added. Barret nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but the question is 'why kidnap her?'" Except for Cloud everyone pondered that. "But he didn't kidnap her." Cloud said softly, but they heard him. "Say what?" Tifa asked, hoping that she'd heard him incorrectly.

"Sephiroth didn't kidnap her, she went willingly."

Red thought about that. "It makes sense though." Everyone looked at him like he had two heads. "Hear me out and think about it. She recognized his sword, called him by a name that, though he didn't like it and probably would have killed anyone else for, he accepted. That, and she literally threw herself on him like he was a long lost relative or something." It did make a lot of sense actually. "We don;t know much about Aerith either, do we? Besides that fact that she's an Ancient," Tifa admitted. Something popped up in Cloud's head.

"Sephiroth claimed to one too."

Heads turned in him direction. He didn't like being on the spot. It made him uncomfortable. "He is?" Barret akes, his face showing him confusion. Cloud nodded. He knew that he would eventually have to tell them. Tifa already knew most of it, but Barret and Red did not. "Let's go back to our room. There's something that you all should know."

* * *

The sun hadn't risen yet, and Aerith wished very much that they could stop. She was a few feet behind Sephiroth, and was constantly rubbing her eyes, trying to rub the sleep out of them. Staying up and walking for most of the night wasn't something she regularly did, and she had nowhere near the amount of stamina that Sephiroth had. He noticed when she started lagging behind him, and slowed his pace a bit for her to catch up. He knew that it would be much easier to carry her and let her sleep for a while, not to mention that faster. But he had to keep up a somewhat slow pace for the puppet to follow.

Aerith finally caught up with him, but he could tell that she was growing weary. Not much longer until she would finally just collapse from exhaustion, though he couldn't blame her. _'Oh well, I suppose that it would be okay to go a bit faster. I'll just have to leave clues for the puppet to follow.'_ Without a second thought, he scooped Aerith into his arms and walked at a much faster pace. She seemed a bit shocked at first, but then relaxed and fell asleep a few seconds later.

_'Sephiroth, my son.'_ His mother was calling him.

'_Yes mother.'_

_'I am still waiting. I assume that you've set everything up accordingly?'_

_'Of course mother. The puppet and his group are following as predicted.'_

_'And the girl?'_

_'With me, of course. She has agreed to our plan, and is waiting to meet you.'_

_'Is that so? Well then, hurry and get here soon.'_

_'I will mother. But you must remember that the puppet is much slower. It will take him a little while longer to reach Junon.'_

_'I know, but I do wish that he would hurry. I am growing impatient.'_

_'I understand mother. You forget that I, too, have been waiting.'_

_'I have not forgotten, but I have also been waiting nearly two thousand years for this as well.'_

_'You will not be waiting for much longer, mother. I promise.'_

_'I know.'_

Well, that's all for now people. I've found that I have much more time to do things now, so hopefully I'll be able to churn out chapters much faster. As always, please review and tell me what you think. It really helps. Toodles.


	8. Meeting New Allies

Junon was finally in sight after nearly three days of travelling since Kalm. Aerith was getting tired of being out in the sun all day, wearing nothing but the hot black clothing that Sephiroth had purchased for her. She knew better than to complain though. "Not much longer now, my dear," he said softly to her. Aerith smiled and grabbed his hand. "Does this mean that we get to sleep in beds tonight?" "You slept for nearly nine hours yesterday, how can you be tired still?"

"That was yesterday, and this is today. And not everyone is like you Sephy. I can't stay up for hours on end." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and his lips became a thin line. "Don't. Call. Me. That. Damned. Name." She'd pushed it this time, and wisely kept her mouth shut until they reached Lower Junon.

When they arrived, she couldn't help but complain. "Oh man, what is that smell? Underneath of the plate isn't even this bad." Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "That smell would be rotting fish coming from the shore, and no, it isn't as bad."

She pinched her nose close with her hand and followed Sephiroth to the elevator that would take them to Upper Junon. There was a lone guard leaning against the wall, eyes halfway closed. After casting a sleep spell, Sephiroth and Aerith went into the elevator and pressed the 'up' button.

When the elevator reached the top level, noise could be heard. Aerith looked to Sephiroth, who just shrugged. They exited the elevator and continued until they found the main street. Red banners could be seen everywhere, proclaiming something about a 'new generation', and Rufus.

Aerith spotted a newpaper vending machine and read what she could. When she finished, she headed back over to Sephiroth, who had been leaning against the wall in the shadows of an alleyway. He seemed to be waiting for her.

"Did you find out anything?" She nodded and leaned herself against him. "The paper said that Rufus was going to in a parade in two days, here in Junon."

Sephiroth pondered that for a moment. _'The puppet will also be here in approximately two days.'_

_'Then it would seem that you have a little extra time.'_ Jenova's voice came to him. _'Hello mother. Is it safe to assume that you will show yourself soon?'_ He was growing anxious about Jenova meeting Aerith. "Seph?" Her voice brought him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her questioning face. "Yes, love?"

She smiled, something that he found he would never grow weary of. "Where are we going now?" "Towards the hotel. It's not far from here. And then we wait for the puppet to arrive."

* * *

After crossing the swamp and the mines, the small group had found their way to Fort Condor. They were exhausted from travelling non stop since the chocobo farm and wanted nothing more than to get some sleep. They met a man outside the fort, informing them that the ShinRa would be attacking soon. 

As much as they wanted to help, they were nearly dead on their feet. The man saw this and told them to get some rest in the large bedroom inside.

They climbed ropes and ladders before finding the room and promptly falling face first into the beds. Some time later, they were woken by the sounds of gun fire outside. Leaping up, the group went up to help do what they could. By the time the fight was over, they were exhausted once again.

Sleeping a few hours more, they finally left the fort, supplies replenished and ready to go. They knew that they would have to pass the forests near Junon before they would actually reach the city itself.

At one point, they had to go through the edge of one forest. Though the trip was pretty much uneventful in the beginning, it took a new turn when the group came upon a young ninja. She carried a large, four pointed weapon and was dressed a bit oddly. Though they easily overcame her, they stuck around until she came back to consciousness.

Speaking with her, they were able to convince her to join them, or perhaps it was the other way around? It didn't matter at the time. Afterwards, when they were on their way again, they introduced themselves. The young ninja introduced herself as Yuffie. She said that she had just come from Junon, having crossed the ocean from Costa del Sol.

She told them what was happening in Junon: the preparation of the arrival of the new president, the parade that was being prepared for. When they asked if she'd seen a young woman in a pink dress with long brown hair in a braid, she said no.

She did, however, tell them about a woman with the same hair description, only wearing all black.

She said that she'd seen her looking at a newspaper vender, but that was it. That information was valuable enough, and they were greatful for it. The young ninja said that it had taken her about half of a day to reach the forest, so it would take about the same to reach the city.

* * *

It had been about two days when Sephiroth said that it was time to meet Jenova. Cloud would be arriving in a few days and they might not have time later. As he led her down the darkened streets of Junon, Aerith kept wondering about the one whom they would meet. 

The planet had been sending her a small, annoying, yet noticable buzzing sound for most of the day. She did her best to disregard it and focused on meeting Sephiroth's mother. It was dark and no one was on the landing pad this time of night. Sephiroth stopped near a pile of wooden crates and told Aerith to stay where she was. He went around the other side and moments later came back.

The creature that followed him was human-like. She looked to be in her late twenties perhaps, her hair a straight silver and red eyes that frightened Aerith, though she didn't show it. Even though she was beautiful, there was an eerie feeling that she seemed to radiate.

Sensing that she was somewhat frightened by his mother, Sephiroth went to Aerith's side. "Aerith," he said, "meet my mother. Mother, this is Aerith." Jenova smiled and extended her hand. Aerith took it, trying her best not to simply pull back. "Hello Aerith." Her voice was sweet, unlike her physical appearance, which Aerith had a feeling really wasn't her true form.

From the moment their hands were locked together, Aerith could hear a scream in her ears. She would have fallen to the ground had Sephiroth not been there to catch her. Sephiroth was on his knees watching as she clutched her hands to her ears, trying to shut out the mental screams that only she could hear.

"Aerith!" Sephiroth held her in his arms as Jenova leaned down and placed a hand on the young cetra's head. The screaming ceased and Aerith slowly brought her hands away from her ears. Jenova brought her hand away from Aerith's head and stood up. Sephiroth did the same, though keeping Aerith in his arms. "What happened?" he spoke softly to her.

"It was the Planet." Jenova spoke. The couple looked at her. "The Planet, Mother?" Jenova nodded. "Yes. You know that the Planet does not like me, my son. It may not like that I am around it's last child."

Aerith's face hardened and her body tensed. She slowly climbed out of Sephiroth's arms and extended her hand to Jenova. Jenova took it, seeming pleased that the young ancient was taking the initiative this time. There was no loud scream this time, but rather a loud buzzing, like from most of the day. Aerith flinched, but kept her hand in Jenova's. "Hello." She attempted a smile and was able to grant a small one.

* * *

Well, there's chapter 8. It's short, kinda like the others. I promise that i'll try to get longer chapters in soon. Also, for those of you who are still wondering about the whole daffodil thing, you should read 'Daffodils: Prelude to Allied with Evil' Well, toodles. : ) 


	9. I've Made My Choice

Chapter 9 -

This was laughable. The puppet must have thought that he could get around without anyone noticing. Sephiroth had to give the captain and soldiers who'd spotted him credit. Up until that point, he'd thought them all a bunch of useless retards. He wasn't proven wrong very often, but there were occasions. Few and far between, but still there.

He turned his back on the parade. There were more important matters at hand, such as Aerith. She'd been hearing the Planet's screaming more often, and it gained her nothing more than constant headaches. As he entered the hotel where they were staying for only a bit longer, he headed up the stairs and to the tiny room. As he entered, he saw her slim form laying across the bed.

His entrance did not wake her from her slumber, for which he was thankful. She hadn't been getting much sleep, but what she did get was precious. He closed and locked the door, then went to pack their few things. She'd insisted on getting something different to wear, a request to which he finally relented to. It seemed that she could no longer stand all of the black, which to him was a shame, because in his opinion it looked good on her.

She now wore midnight blue flared jeans, which seemed to be the 'rage' in Junon and Midgar these days. She also now sported a tan colored, loose turtleneck sweater. She kept the boots, giving him the excuse that she couldn't find any good ones.

He knew that she was lying and that they were comfortable for her.

He gently shook her awake, watching as she tried to swat his hand away. "Forgive me love, but we must go now. The puppet has arrived." Aerith slowly opened her eyes. Her headache, or rather the buzzing in her head, was at a minimal. Though who knew for how long, besides the Planet, which she damned once more. Sephiroth helped her sit up then stand. She leaned against him for the moment, then stood on her own.

He handed her her pack and led the way out of the building. It wasn't long before they made it to the ship that would take them to Costa del Sol. It took a minimal amount of skill to sneak aboard, though Sephiroth did pull her down once when he heard someone approaching them. It was a member of the crew, but rather another stowaway in a crew outfit. Aerith recognized her as Tifa. Behind her was an odd looking creature that was attempting to walk on its find legs. She recognized this to be Red XIII.

Sephiroth motioned for her to be silent. She said not a word. When they were gone, Sephiroth pulled her back up and they continued to a room off of the cargo area near the base of the stairs. He closed the door behind them. Turning to Aerith, he took her hand and went to the back of the room. There was a doorway there that led to another lower level. They went down. Now all there was to do was wait until everyone was on the ship and they were out in the open ocean.

Then the fun would begin.

* * *

Cloud finished the last move with ease. As soon as he was done, Heidegger came over and looked over all three of them. He stopped next to Cloud last. From his pocket, he pulled out a materia and awarded it to the disguised AVALANCHE member, then went back to Rufus ShinRa's side. As soon as they left, including the captain and the other soldiers, Cloud spotted Red poking his head over a crate on the ship in front of him.

Red motioned him over, and Cloud entered the cargo hold of the ship. Next to Red was Tifa, who led the way to the upper decks. Tifa informed him that they'd been able to reach upper Junon by bribing the man at the elevator, then had found some extra uniforms and snuck aboard. She also told him that this ship was going to Costa del Sol, a resort town on the coast of the middle continent. Cloud nodded and went off in search of the other members of the team. He found Yuffie below the deck and Barret staring into a window where Rufus and Heidegger were speaking.

Barret wanted to shoot them both right now, but just as Cloud told him that it would be a bad decision, the alarms went off. Both thought that they'd been caught, but soon realized that it wasn't them. Nevertheless, they went to see the others.

* * *

Sephiroth decided it was time to act. When he was sure that they were far enough out to sea, he told Aerith to stay and went to floor above. Once there, he went into the cargo hold and spotted a guard. He swiftly killed him and pulled the alarm. It would no doubt bring Cloud and his band of misfits running.

He turned around and headed back to Aerith. He found her leaning against a wall, her eyes half open. It wasn't how he'd left her, but that was alright. He pulled her closer to him, which made her open her eyes fully. She was about to ask him what he was doing when she heard footsteps from above. She nearly yelled when she felt her feet no longer touching the ground, but she caught herself. When she saw how high they were going, and then when Sephiroth's head disappeared into the ceiling, her eyes went wide.

The people who were on the floor above, however, were taken aback by what they saw. The only one seemed unfazed by it all was Sephiroth. He kept his hold on Aerith, waiting for the others reaction. When he finally came to his senses, Cloud took out his sword. The rest followed shortly afterward. "So then it's true. You really have joined him." Cloud accused. Aerith knew that his accusation was pointed towards her. She nodded, though she was not ashamed in the least.

"I'd rather be on his side." She stated with pride. "Do you have any idea what he's done, what he wanted to do? He's insane!" Cloud shouted at her. Aerith took offense to this. She tore away from Sephiroth and marched up to Cloud. "I know what he's done, and what he plans to do. I'm going to help him." She glared at the blonde man and raised a pointed index finger at him. "And he's not insane. He's brilliant."

Cloud was fuming. "You haven't seen what he's done Aerith. He killed my mother, Tifa's father, and the rest of the people that we knew. I was there, I saw it all. You think that's brilliant? I know that I can't say the same." He was yelling at her now. "And now he's out for the Planet. But I won't let him." He lowered his voice and put his hands on her shoulders. "I don't know what he's told you Aerith, but it's not too late to come back to us. I care about you, and I don't want you to be pulled into whatever he's got planned."

Aerith shook her head, "No Cloud, I'm not going back." She took his hands and pulled them off of her. She'd been sure that when Cloud had told her that he cared about her, she'd seen Tifa turn her head away. She could tell that Tifa felt something for Cloud, though she couldn't say she felt the same. Cloud spoke again, sure that only Aerith could hear. "I don't want you to go with him. I care about you, and I promise that I won't let him hurt you if you choose to come with us. With me."

His words enraged her. She wouldn't leave Sephiroth, ever. "No Cloud, I won't do that. I'm going to help him take this Planet," she stepped back, "and if you want to stop him, you'll have to stop me too."

"Bu' what 'bout da Planet? Don' you care what happens to it?" Barret's voice came from behind Cloud. He stepped up and came closer. She shook her head. "No, I don't care. The Planet hates me and I hate it." She went back to Sephiroth. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"And if you try to stop us, we'll stop you."

It was final, and the tone of her voice said it. Sephiroth took her hand and looked to AVALANCHE. "Well, I think that settles that. I suppose that we'll be seeing you later." He levitated off the ground, taking Aerith with him. "Oh, and here's a little surprise for you." Something dropped from the ceiling: Jenova Birth. While AVALANCHE went off to fight the piece of Jenova, Sephiroth and Aerith shot up and disappeared through the roof.

* * *

"You did wonderfully my love. Absolutely superb." Sephiroth commended Aerith when they were on the coast, only a few miles south of Costa del Sol. They'd just landed after their departure from the ship. Aerith smiled. "Thank you. But I don't know what came over me. I've never argued with anyone like that before." Her smile faded and she wrapped her arms around herself. "He just made me so angry. You aren't insane, you just...get out of hand sometimes. And you were angry. O know it doesn't justify what you did, but-" "Hush now Aerith," Sephiroth interrupted her.

"Sorry," she apoligized. "There is no reason to be sorry. I am proud that you spoke your mind and defended me. And for that, you will be greatly rewarded." "You don't have to Seph. The greatest reward that I could have is you." His heart nearly melted. He grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss. It left her breathless afterwards, but she wasn't going to complain.

"Come now love, we have a fair bit of travel left before we reach our next destination."


	10. Fun and Games You Were Always On My Mind

Ahh! Two chapters in one update? It must be a miracle. Don't think that I've ever done that before, but there's always a first time for everything. I'd like to thank the people who reviewed to 'Daffodils'. It is very sad, and in fact I nearly did cry while writing it. Anyhoo, back to the story.

* * *

What was left of Corel was tucked into a safe little mountain side. Its people were poor, just like the little town that they lived in. It was composed of pieced together shacks and ramshackle tents. It was a wonder that they even survived here, Aerith thought. They had just entered the town from a bridge across the mountains, which had taken them most of the day to cross. The sun was now setting.

She felt sorry for these people, especially after Sephiroth had told why they'd ended up like this. Their town had been attacked by ShinRa, after an attack on the nearby reactor had been blamed on them. She'd seen the reactor when they'd passed by, hearing some of the planet's screams as well. She did not sympathize with it. She did, however, sympathize with these people. She knew what it was like to have everything taken from her, to be oppressed.

Sephiroth led her through the town quickly, not stopping until they were on the railway. She'd seen a sign that had said 'Gold Saucer' on it as they passed by. She'd heard of the place, though only that. No one from the slums would have been able to get out of Midgar, much less go to the next continent to see a place they'd hardly heard of.

The rail car left the station as the sun had just set. It was dark out, but Aerith could see lights out in the distance. Suddenly a firework exploded and Aerith jumped back. She landed in Sephiroth's arms and looked up at him. He seemed to think that it was funny a chuckled, and after Aerith saw a few more, she giggled. "Those are fireworks, love. They are displayed every night here." He pushed her closer to the window and she got her first glance at the Gold Saucer.

Her first thought was that it was an illusion. There was no way that something that large and fun looking could be real. But it was. Lights were shining everywhere, making her happy. She knew instantly that this was her surprise. She turned around to her lover and kissed him. "Oh, thank you Sephiroth. You have no idea how much this means to me."

He took her hand as the rail car came to a stop and opened. Since they had been the only ones to enter it, they were the only ones to exit. Sephiroth flashed a golden ticket he'd pulled out of his pocket to a man standing at the entrance. He nodded and let them pass. Inside were eight rainbow rings that had their destinations printed on the floor. She immediately went to the 'Chocobo Square' ring and looked down it. It was tunnel, though she wasn't sure if she was supposed to jump down it or wait for something.

Sephiroth came up behind her and pulled himself into the tunnel. "See you down there." He slid down the tunnel, out of her sight. She was deciding whether or not she should just go and find some stairs when a bunch of teens came in and headed for the tunnel she was currently next to. They bumped into her roughly, sending her into the tunnel labeled 'Battle Square'.

The tunnel had brightly colored lights, but she was too busy screaming to notice. She was also turned backward, so she couldn't see anything in front of her. Then it stopped suddenly. She found herself on flat ground, out of the tunnel. She stood and dusted off her jeans then took in her surroundings. There were more tunnels, and then a long staircase going upwards. She decided not to go up there. Instead, she looked and saw the sign 'Chocobo' near her and went to it.

Sephiroth was probably worried, so she decided to get though this quick. She pulled herself into the tunnel and closed her eyes. Then she let go. The air was rushing past her, and she opened her eyes a small bit. There were more lights, which excited her. She found that she wasn't afraid of the tunnels as much as she thought. It was over quickly though, and a sort of disappointment went through her.

She left the tunnel and noticed the loud music first. She then noticed that she was on a staircase, and looking down, she saw Sephiroth waiting for her. He did seem a bit worried, but when he saw her he breathed a sigh of relief. When he asked her what had happened and she told him, he swore that those teens would get a severe 'talking' to. She told him to calm down.

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter, mostly from Aerith. Later that night, when both were laying comfortably in a bed in the Ghost Hotel, Aerith nuzzled her head against Sephiroth's shoulder and murmured how she wished that everyday would be like that one. "One day, Aerith. One day we will be able to do everything that we wish to do, without being bothered. Not by ShinRa, or the Planet, or even the puppet."

"Together. Just the two of us." Aerith added. Sephiroth nodded and pulled her closer. "Always my love, always."

* * *

"It sure is big here. Where should we go first?" Tifa asked Cloud. He'd been out of it for a while, since Aerith had left anyways. He shrugged and went to the tunnel labeled 'Wonder Square'. She didn't bother following him. If he wanted to sulk, she would let him. Instead, she went with Yuffie to 'Event Square'.

Cloud couldn't get his mind off of Aerith. She'd been so angry with him, something that he didn't want. He wanted her to be happy…with him. Not Sephiroth, _him_. Why was it that Sephiroth deserved someone as beautiful and wonderful as Aerith? There was no reason. The man was cold as ice and belonged in the seventh ring of Hell for what he'd done.

He was so absorbed with his thoughts of Aerith and Sephiroth that he bumped into something large and white. He apologized quickly, but realized then that it wasn't a person that he'd bumped into. It was a rather large stuffed mog with a black and white cat on top. "Hello there sir. Would you like your fortune?" Cloud declined, but the thing would not relent. Cloud finally gave up and said okay. The mog waved its arms back and forth, then finally printed out a piece of paper. The cat took it and read, "'Life is a drag, but you shouldn't dress in it.' Huh, that's an odd one. Let's try again."

The mog waved its arms again and out came another paper. The cat took it and began reading once again. "You will learn who you are soon. Lucky numbers: 87, 2, 56, 77, 25, 68, 3' Hmm, not quite right yet." Cloud was getting fed up and wanted to leave, but the mog printed out another paper before he could, and the cat began to read once more. "'What you want cannot be yours, and if you're not careful, you'll lose something else.' That's a really different one. Do you have any idea what it means?" Cloud shook his head, though he had a feeling that the something he could not have was Aerith. He wasn't going to tell this thing though.

"Well, then I guess that I'll just have to go with you to find out." Cloud's eyes nearly popped out. "What! Hey, look, you can't. I have things to do, very important things. You'd only get in the way."

The cat would not have it. "Nope, I need to see this through. Name's Cait by the way. Cait Sith." He stuck his paw out to shake Cloud's/. Cloud did so, reluctantly. "So, Cloud, where you going?"

"I'm looking for someone." Cait looked interested, well, as much as a toy could. "Really? Tell me what they look like. I see lots of people." Cloud described Aerith and Sephiroth, though he doubted that Cait could do much to help him. "I've seen a couple like that. They came here a few hours ago and then went to 'Speed Square.' She was all excited. I even read her fortune. They both liked what I told them."

Cloud nearly took off like a bat out of Hades and went to find the tunnel for 'Speed Square.' Cait followed him. Cloud jumped into the tunnel and went through to 'Speed Square'. He looked all around when he exited, but saw no one except for a man in a speedo standing near the entrance of the attraction.

He ran up to him and described Aerith and Sephiroth, then asked if he's seen them. The man thought for a second, then snapped his fingers and smiled. "Yeah, I've seen two people like that. They passed by when I was here a few hours ago, talking about some 'black materia'. Never heard of it, but it sounded weird."

Cloud was ecstatic. _So she was here._ "Do you know where they went?" The man waved his head. "Sorry, didn't see. There's so many people here that I can't keep track. Sorry that I can't be of anymore help. Hey there Cait." The man's attention turned to Cait Sith. Cloud turned to see Cait behind him. "Hey Dio. Did you the two that Cloud's looking for?" Dio nodded. "I did indeed. Enjoying themselves too."

Cloud was getting tired of this talk. He didn't want Aerith and Sephiroth enjoying time together. He wanted Aerith to enjoy spending time with him, and Sephiroth escorting himself off the face of the Planet.

* * *

Yes, I know, the chapters were short. But you got two of them this time, so that must count for something, right? Next chapter will be up soon…hopefully. Oh and by the way, if you look at those numbers carefully, you'll see a message. 


	11. Wait, That Isn't Supposed to be There!

AHH! Where have I been? Believe me, if I knew, I'd tell you. I don't, somehow, but I am ready to continue. So here we go.

"So how much longer until we get to the next town?" Yuffie complained, wanting to be out of the buggy and stretching her legs. Tifa sighed. Yuffie had been asking the same thing all morning since they'd left Cosmo Canyon. Tifa wanted to get out too, but Cloud had insisted that they keep on going until nightfall, or until they caught up with Sephiroth.

But everyone knew the truth: he was racing after Aerith.

This saddened Tifa the most. She had loved Cloud ever since they were children, though she'd never said it aloud. Then, when Cloud had left, she'd been heartbroken.

Unbeknownst to her, Nanaki could smell her sadness. He nuzzeled her arm, his silent way of showing her that he cared about her. Tifa smiled back at him, her way of telling him 'thank you'.

Cloud slammed on the brakes. It was lucky for eeryone that Tifa had made them wear their seatbelts, Nanaki as well, though it was a little hard to get it right.

"Damn it, Spikes, a little warning next time?" Barret yelled. Cloud pointed forward. They all looked ahead, but Cloud and Tifa were able to recognize what lay upon the horizon. Together, they said one word in unison:

"Nibelheim."

Then there was silence, broken only by Yuffie a few seconds later.

"Yeah, well I thought you two said it was burned to the ground?"

* * *

"I thought that you said you burned the town to the ground?"

Even Sephiroth was surprised at the sight before him. It was Nibelheim, and yet it wasn't. Sephiroth wondered if this was one for the old book of paradoxes. Possibly, assuming that anyone believed this was both Nibelheim and wasn't. They probably wouldn't, given the fact that ShinRa had probably wrapped up what had happened in Nibelheim. From what Aerith had told him, he'd supposedly died in a reactor accident, though that was somewhat accurate.

It was just that humans assumed too much and wrote it off as some sort of explosion.

Sephiroth really didn't care about it. The future was too important, especially now that Aerith was by his side. He had to admit though, that he didn't think that Aerith might join with him. She had never really been one for much violence, and there was probably going to be more. What had happened in Nibelheim was lunch; the ShinRa tower and the ship to Costa del Sol could very well be the appetizers.

The entree had yet to come.

Aerith began walking into the town. Sephiroth was quite sure that she wouldn't be hurt as long as she stayed within the main square. He headed towards the ShinRa Mansion, something he knew somehow hadn't been burned down. The gate was still squeeky and needed to be oiled badly. The door creeked as it was opened, and already Sephiroth could feel himself breathing in dust.

Everything was as faded as it had been five years ago, perhaps more so. Even then, he had believed that it had once been a place of grandeur. He could imagine equisite parties being held here in the past. It was too bad that no one had kept it up, because he was sure that it could have been just as grand today. He made his way across the entrance hall to the stairs. They, like the door, creaked beneath his weight. He was at the top when he heard a sneeze. Masamune was out in an instant, clutched tightly in his left hand while a spell formed in his right. He put on his warrior 'face'.

Looking down toward the door he'd left open, Aerith stared up at him. Her hands were up around her mouth, and her eyes were wide.

The way he looked, poised to kill, scared her. She knew that he'd never harm her, but she was still frightened nonetheless. He quickly put his sword away and stopped his spell from forming. Aerith relaxed visibly and let out a sigh of relief.

"You could have announced yourself you know." He said jokingly.

"Yeah? And you could calm down a bit too you know."

Aerith looked around, taking in the state of the old mansion. She too believed that it had been once a grand place, but like many things, it had fallen into disrepair. One thing that really captured her attention was the stained glass mirror that was behind Sephiroth. It was the one thing that stood out the most, and when she'd walked in, it had been the first thing she'd seen.

Before she had sneezed, that is.

"Come now Aerith. There are monsters crawling all over, and it would not be wise for you to stay up here by yourself." He offered her his hand and she came up the stairs to him. "This place must have been beautiful at one time." Aerith said as they walked past the window.

"Indeed, it must have been. But like most things that ShinRa owns, it is ignored once it's usefulness is over. I have heard that ShinRa had decided to leave the sector seven plate where it is, and commence the building of Neo Midgar. They plan to build it in the Promised Land. Besides the fact that doing so would be impossible, they would still leave Midgar, which would then become just like this mansion."

They were now at the stone wall, behind which was a spiraling staircase into the dark. Beyond that, Aerith knew, was the library where answers could be found. Perhaps even something on herself, or so she hoped.

Sephiroth pushed on the stone, causing it to swing open and reveal the secret entrance to the basement. Aerith peered down, barely able to see the bottom. "Um, do we really have to go down there? Are you sure that there is no no other way?"

Sephiroth grabbed her around the waist with one arm. "There is no other way." With that he jumped, carrying Aerith with him. Aerith knew better than to scream, though she wanted to very badly.

They reached the bottom within seconds, and Sephiroth began walking down the tunnel, Aerith still in him arm. It was dark and Aerith had to squint her eyes just to see the rocky wall. Sephiroth could see perfectly, though he neednt have to at all. He remembered this tunnel and what lay ahead.


	12. Finding Things Long Forgotten

It was dusty.

This was the first thing that came to Sephiroth's mind the moment he opened the door to the hidden library. Though, he saw, it wasn't as dusty as it should have been. He knew that it had been five years since he'd been there last, but there should have been more dust. That meant that someone had been using this room up until recently. Who, he didn't particularly care, just as long as they didn't come back anytime soon.

He made his way to the back to a small office while Aerith looked through the shelves. He knew that she wouldn't be harmed in here, so he left her be for the moment. He rifled through the books in the hall for a moment, looking for a good read. He wanted to wait here for the puppet, for certain reasons. Then he would give him and his ragtag rebel group another clue as to where to find them next.

* * *

It was the same. Or rather, it looked to be the same. Cloud knew that it wasn't though. Nothing could take the picture of a burning Nibelheim out of his eyes, could not take the feeling of the heat and fire burning against his skin.

Could not take the screaming from his ears.

Nothing could take it away, not ever. As the others searched the town, Cloud made his way to the front of the mansion. It looked as untouched as it had been then. He knew that Sephiroth was in there, though he knew not how. It was a feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he knew to follow it. The others joined him as he entered. Yuffie had managed to find a slip of paper.

It was like a game of sorts, they found out later. They followed the clues, though Cloud protested the entire way, telling them that it was a waste of time and that they needed to get moving. Yuffie would have none of it. At the end, all they were left with was a summon materia and a key. They weren't sure where the key went, but Tifa said that they would find out soon enough.

They decended into the darkness of the basement.

* * *

Sephiroth could sense that they were close. He was sitting at the desk in the far back of the quiet yet dusty library, an open book in his hands, though he was no longer reading it. He reached out into the puppets mind, calling him subconciously to the basement. He looked for a moment to Aerith, who was engorged in a book he had yet to read, and called out to her.

"They are nearly here."

She looked up quickly, their eyes meeting for a few seconds as she nodded. She got up and walked to him, the book still clutched tightly in her arms. He had gone back to reading the book he had in his own arms when she made it to the desk. "Sephiroth?" He looked up again to her face. "Can I keep this book?"

He looked at the book, which was really more of a journal, and nodded. After all, what harm ever came from reading a book?

He thought about that again.

"Thank you."

* * *

Aerith couldn't stop reading the journal that she'd found. It was hidden behind another book, being a bit slimer than the others. It was apparently the diary of an assistant who had worked in the mansion nearly twenty-five years ago, going by the dated entries. The woman did not specify what project, if any, she was working on. Instead, it seemed to be a personal diary that she wrote in everyday.

The woman's name was Lucrecia, and she was apparently married, though Aerith had a feeling that the man she was married to was not the 'Vincent' that she wrote of. She confirmed that when Lucrecia wrote that she prayed that her husband never found out about their 'visits' together.

She was interrupted by Sephiroth halfway though reading the journal, and asked f she could keep it with her. It seemed that this Lucrecia was not coming back for it anyway, and Aerith also had this feeling that it would be important for later.

* * *

"So what you're saying is that you've been down here for nearly a quarter of a century sleeping?"

The man in red nodded, preparing to go back to sleep again, but the chocobo haired one would not leave him alone. The man, Cloud was it? He began saying something to himself, and though the man in red couldn't have cared less, one word stuck in his mind the moment her heard it.

Sephiroth.

But it couldn't be. Could it?

And what was this? This Sephiroth had burned down all of Nibelheim? All while he was sleeping down here in his coffin, he had heard nothing? Still, if it was the same Sephiroth, then he would never know if he stayed here.

The busty woman, Tifa, if he recalled, having heard the large man with the gun arm calling her that, was asking if he would go with them. Perhaps yes. Then he might be able to meet Sephiroth, and perhaps...

...he would find the bastard who killed Lucrecia.


	13. Enter The Gunslinger

It was not long after getting out of his coffin that Vincent caught his first glimpse of the man he had once seen as an infant. It had been a long time, but Vincent could remember it clearly.

It had been raining. He was soaked, but didn't care. After he'd seen Lucrecia, what had happened to her, nothing seemed to matter. Her last words had come out as a strangled cry for her baby. A baby that she'd never even gotten to hold. A baby that if left with that sick bastard, Vincent knew, would be forever scarred.

He left not long after she'd past on, promising that he'd do all that he could to make sure that her baby would be well taken care of. He'd stormed into the mansion, running down into the basement to confront the man that had started it all. Long before he reached the door to the lab, he could hear the wailing of a child. The sound only spurred him on more.

He rushed into the room, his gun pointed at the man in the white lab coat. Behind the man was an open incubator. From inside was the source of the wailing: a newborn with various IVs stuck into him. Vincent made to shoot the man in front of him, but fate, it seemed, was not on his side.

Instead, a bullet was on his side, or rather in it.

She was already by his side when the door burst open, revealing a man with blonde hair and a large sword. Behind him were his comrades. She noticed that they were now joined by two others: a large mog with a cat on top and a man with long black hair dressed in red. It didn't matter though.

"Nice to see that you have joined us Cloud. We were wondering when you would get here." Sephiroth said from behind the desk at which he sat, reading a book. He did not look up, but continued to read.

Cloud had a look of rage upon his face. Sephiroth finished the sentence that he was reading and closed the old book. He looked to the group and stood gracefully. "Well now that you are here, I suppose that we should be going. Don't you think so my dear?" He looked to Aerith, who nodded in agreement.

Taking her hand, Sephiroth levitated into the air. As they rose nearly four feet, Sephiroth threw something towards Cloud. "That should come in handy if you plan on finding us again. We'll be waiting beyond Mount Nibel." With that said, the two shot forward past AVALANCHE and down the corridor faster than the eye could see.


	14. Realization

Well now, prolly never thought you'd hear from me again, huh? Got a spark of inspiration this morning, for some ungodly reason. But anyways, reviews are always nice. I might redo the beginning chapters of this story, but i'd like your guys opinions.

"So what was the purpose of sending them through the mountains when we need them to open the Temple of Ancients? Especially since it's in the entirely opposite direction."

Aerith was sitting in the limb of a tree near the grassy plain that separated the exit from the Nibel Mountains from Rocket Town. It had been only an hour before that Sephiroth had landed in the plain from a semi-long flight that had begun in Nibelheim. Sephiroth hadn't spoken to her since their landing, but instead was resting at the base of tree Aerith was sitting in.

He didn't answer her immediately, but when he did he said only, "It is a part of my plan." Aerith sighed quietly and began climbing down from her perch.

It was already midday, and they still had a ways to go before they reached their destination. Sephiroth rose from his spot at the base of the tree shortly after Aerith had climbed down, and began walking towards Rocket Town. Aerith followed beside him, hoping that when they reached their destination he would tell her his plan with more detail, as he had still failed to tell her why exactly Cloud and the others needed to come past Mount Nibel, or even why they themselves were there.

* * *

_'Maybe, just maybe...'_ thought Yuffie, her teeth chattering in the cold weather of the Nibel Mountains _'If I aim my shuriken just right at Chocobo Head, it will knock his brain back into place.'_

Cloud had hurried up into the mountains as soon as he had exited the ShinRa mansion. He wanted desperately to catch up with Sephiroth, but had thought little about his comrades. Most of them were freezing down to the bone, and most of them had thoughts akin to Yuffie's. Tifa was by no means pleased with his barreling out of the mansion and up the path into the mountains.

Barret was ready to blow his head off by the time they had reached the deserted, yet still functioning reactor. Though the cold didn't bother him as much as it did Tifa or Yuffie, he was still freezing. Nanaki, though he was used to the warmth of Cosmo Canyan, seemed unaffected by the cold. Vincent, however, made no indication if he was cold, though his face seemed to be a shade paler.

It took nearly the rest of the day to reach the end of the mountains, after which everyone yelled at Cloud to make camp. He by no means wanted to, but from the deadly looks on his friends faces, he knew he had no choice. Everyone began to make camp in what they deemed to be a safe place at the base of the mountain range.

All hoped to make it to Rocket Town the next day, as they were low on supplies and wanted to sleep in warm beds with a roof over their heads. Once the preparing of camp was over with, everyone sat around the fire that Tifa was currently making, to the best of her ability and supplies available, a soup that smelled most excellent. Yuffie's mouth was watering and she was arguaing with Barret over who would get the first bowl.

Tifa laughed over their small quarrel, but still seemed distracted. Vincent was the first to notice this, as Nanaki seemed to have joined the fight over the first bowl, and Cloud was staring out into the horizon. He knew the look of longing on her face, the sadness it held. He too had once shown such a face, knew how it felt to be in a position such as hers.

Though he knew not much of their story, Vincent was quite sure that though Tifa may have liked Cloud, Cloud was not interested. When Tifa asked Nanaki to go see if he could sniff out some wild vegetables for their soup, Vincent went along. Nanaki seemed to be more level headed, and would perhaps share what he knew about Tifa and Cloud.

When they were further out, Nanaki asked what was on Vincent's mind. "I can smell it, you wish to know something. I am more than happy to answer, if i can." Vincent nodded to Nanaki, and voiced his question, hoping that Nanaki could truly answer it.

"There is something between Tifa and Cloud. I do not know, however she seems quite sad about it. Can you tell me why?" Vincent asked, as Nanaki sniffed out some wild vegatables. Nanaki stopped and pawed at the ground, unearthing some wild onions. Vincent gathered them up while Nanaki began to speak.

"Tifa loves Cloud, but Cloud seems to have fallen for the girl that travels with Sephiroth, Aerith. He has tried many times to get her to come with us, but she will not."

Vincent walked on with Nanaki, as the feline told him what Cloud had left out when they had first met. "Aerith is a Cetra, perhaps the last. But though we venture forward to save this planet, she seeks to destroy it at Sephiroth's side. We do not know why, when even back home in Cosmo Canyon, we are told that the Cetra gave their lives to save the planet. She seems quite bitter about it, and has even stated that it hates her."

Vincent took in this new information, having had his question answered, yet new questions forming in his head. In the past, he had spent time with a then colleague of Hojo, Professor Gast, as he remembered. Gast had been studying the Cetra, and it had been his expedition that had unearthed Jenova. Even back then, it had seemed strange that though Jenova was pronounced a Cetra, Gast still seemed to have his doubts about it.

And then Gast had found Ifalna. Few knew that Ifalna was truly a Cetra, but Vincent had learned it through Lucretia, who was an assistant to Gast, and a friend to Ifalna. Vincent had not asked questions, as it was not his place. But he kept Ifalna's secret, never once telling anyone what he knew. He went about his job until the day Lucretia had died, crying to hold her child.

But now, it seemed, he wished that he had asked questions. Then a thought hit him like a brick to the face. And that thought grew to be many thoughts, which seemed to fit perfectly together.

_'Aerith...she looked so much like Ifalna. Is it possible that they are related?'_


	15. More Questions than there are Answers

Yeah...my inspiration hit me hard. So here's the next chapter for your enjoyment. As always, read and review

* * *

When Nanaki and Vincent returned from their scavenge, Tifa noticed that Vincent seemed deep in thought. He handed her the onions and other wild vegitation that they had managed to come across before returning. Tifa thanked him politely and returned to her soup, which Yuffie and Barret were still arguing about.

Nanaki and Vincent had not spoken since Nanaki had shared the information about Aerith, and the feline knew not to interrupt one who was thinking, as Vincent surely was. He knew that if Vincent was going to say something, he would, but at present it did not seem as though he would. So until then, Nanaki was content to curl up near the fire and wait until Tifa's excellent smelling soup was finished.

Vincent sat in the place he had before, thinking about the possibilities of Ifalna and Aerith being related. He noted that Tifa still had that look of sadness upon her face, though she did her best to hide it. Cloud still looked upon the horizon, even though the sun was nearly set.

Soon, Tifa's soup was ready, and Yuffie managed to beat Barret to the pot as Tifa handed out the first bowl. Barret scowled, but gladly took the second bowl. Tifa placed another bowl near Nanaki, who began to eat himself. Vincent thanked Tifa as she gave him a bowl, and watched as she handed one to Cloud as well. Cloud nodded his thanks, and sat down, though he was still in thought.

And it was those thoughts that kept him from eating his soup. And had it not been for Yuffie, he may have been lost in this thoughts all night. "You know Cloud, thinking about someone doesn't just instantly bring them to you."

Cloud's head sprung up at those words. He gave the young ninja an angry look, but she wasn't one to back down from looks. Neither was Barret, it seemed, as the next words came from his mouth. "She's right Cloud, you sulkin about all the time ain't gonna bring Aerith here. Ain't nothin gonna bring Aerith here with us, and you gotta accept that fact. We all know you ain't jus' chasin after Sephiroth."

Cloud's face grew red with anger, but it seemed his group was not done speaking, as Vincent was the next to make his voice heard. "It is true, she seems quite adamant in her ways from what I have heard. But there is always a reason for things. What is hers? What is her connection to this Planet, besides the fact that she is Cetra?"

That put everyone into thought. It was true that they knew very little about the flower girl from the slums, but she was indeed Cetra. Again, Vincent spoke, and this time it was a question that was wondered from the very beginning.

"And what is her connection to Sephiroth?"

* * *

_'What a shame.'_ Thought Aerith as she and Sephiroth entered Rocket Town in the twilight hours. True to it's name, on the outskirts of the town, stood a rocket silo, albeit with a crooked rocket. The towns residents were quick to enter their homes for the dinner hour, and Aerith could see through the windows families sitting down at their tables, saying their dinner prayers.

So caught up was she that she didn't notice Spehiroth had led her to the local inn. He put some gil into her hands and told her to go rent a room for the evening. "What about you? Aren't you coming?" she asked him, hoping that she would not have to spend the night alone.

"I will be along when I can, my love. First I must meet up with Mother, and we must speak of out plans. But I wish for you to have a warm bed to sleep in tonight, and I know that you would prefer to bathe in something other than the nearest body of water," he said with a grin.

Aerith smiled warmly at him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed into the inn. Sephiroth turned and walked out of the town towards the plains beyond the rocket silo. It was there that he could feel Jenova's presence.

* * *

It didn't take Aerith long to rent a room and hurry to take a long bath. It wasn't long though, before she began to wonder about her decision to help Sephiroth in his plans. Though she was certain that any type of meteor, especially one called upon by a black materia, could very well destroy this planet, she knew she had no choice but to help Sephiroth.

_'But me, a God? Is it even possible?'_ She was still unsure of that aspect. True, taking in the pure energy of the Lifestream must have had some effects, but to have that kind of power? And what would happen to the planet itself. True, she did not care for the planet itself, but there were still innocent people who lived on it's surface. People that she did not wish any harm upon.

She knew then and there that she could not follow Sephiroth if that was a side effect of his plan. Although she did not wish to see him angry with her, she knew he would not physically harm her. But then again...some things were worse than physical.

She did her best to clear such thoughts from her head. She knew that they would bring nothing good for her at the time. Instead, she let herself relax in the warm water. She would speak to Spehiroth when he returned. Certainly he not mean to destroy the entire population of the planet.

So relaxed did Aerith become that she let her mind become more open then she had lately.

_'Fire rained down from the Sky. Death was everywhere, and there was mass panic. People were running around, screaming in terror. All about her was death and destruction, and the voices that screamed, "The Calamity has come upon us!"_

Aerith gasped as she awoke from the nightmare that had been shown to her. She was still in the bath, but the water was now lukewarm. _'Damn, I was relaxing too much. The planet was able to reach into my mind.'_ She was almost sure that it had been made up, a vision to lead her astray. And yet, she knew that she had heard of 'The Calamity' before. Certain it was from long ago, Aerith searched her memory for where.

Perhaps her mother had once mentioned it, her biological mother. Even though it had been years since her death on the steps on the train station, Aerith remembered many of the things her mother had taught her. She continued to search through her memories of that time, and eventually found one. It had been a few months before they had escaped Hojo's labs, and Aerith remembered her mother having to speak with Hojo about a 'Calamity from the Sky'.

_'I told you everything I know about it. The 'Calamity from the Sky' destroyed everything she could. She took out her rage upon my people, after we began to defend ourselves and the humans. We won at the cost of our own lives. The 'Calamity' was sealed away in the north, protected by the planet so that she could never harm anyone again. You idiots couldn't leave well enough alone. Now she will come to power again, and this time no one will be able to save you!'_

The rest of the memory would not come to her, but she found what she needed to know. What was the 'Calamity from the Sky?' And why was it so hellbent on destroying everything in its path?


End file.
